Chapter Text
“Well? What's this amazing plan you have?”
The young Uzumaki and Uchiha duo were both sitting on top of a hill that was positioned at the far back of the perimeters that marked Konoha’s most popular park, the rest of the park was quite barren considering it was still early morning.
With their shoulders practically touching, the two 6 year olds found themselves passing the mysterious black box around like a hot potato.
“Okay, so basically… Uhm…”
“Has anyone ever told you that you have an incredible way with words?”
“Shut up! Teme!”
They were beginning to realise their personalities clashed quite a bit, so much so it felt natural to curse and insult each other.
But, for some reason, that didn't deter either of them from shuffling in closer and practically leaning against one another whilst arguing over what to do with the void-like container.
It was… new.
A new and unfamiliar experience for the both of them; Naruto had never been able to make friends his age due to the entire village hating his guts, and Sasuke just never wanted to.
Neither of them were exactly confident they were doing “friendship” correctly.
But it felt nice. So nothing else mattered, right?
“Okay. Basically, I don't think we'll be able to open the box by doing it the civilian way.” Naruto struggled to word his thoughts in a way that wasn't just shouting, “THE DEMON IN MY HEAD TOLD ME SO-”.
“The civilian way?” Sasuke questioned, he knew there was a difference between civilians and shinobi, obviously. But what could they do as 6 year olds that wasn’t the “civilian way”? They couldn't use chakra…
…?
“Let's use chakra!”
…
“Naruto, no.” There were risks in experimenting with jutsu at too-early an age without the proper skills that are taught in the academy or prodigy-like talent. Sasuke knows this because he's read the beginner’s guide to the shinobi arts more times than he cares to count.
“What's wrong? Don't worry, I know how to do it!” Naruto silently prayed Sasuke wouldn’t ask him where or how he learned, he didn't think he could come up with a believable lie.
“I do too, dobe. It's just too dangerous for us to perform jutsu before entering the academy…” The dark-eyed boy groaned, he didn't know why talking about the shinobi arts had him feeling awkward. He wasn't proficient in them, he hadn't even begun training in them properly.
He wasn't worthy of it. Not like Itachi was.
Naruto caught the quiet acknowledgement and felt relieved to know Sasuke was joining the academy too. The blonde didn't know why he was worried about that… Sasuke was part of a shinobi clan, of course he would join!
Still, it felt nice to have that reassurance given to him without the need for awkward icebreaker questions like “Are you joining the academy?” plaguing their conversations. They're far past that stage in friendship; even if they’ve only known each other one night, it certainly didn’t feel like it.
In fact, it felt like they’ve known each other for much longer.
Like they’ve met before.
Somewhere else…
…
“Hey, brother? How can you sit and read all this stuff? Father too! Why does he have to write so much?”
“All of it has to do with Ninjutsu, every word has meaning.”
…
Maybe in another life.
But why not this one?
…
“Let’s just skip stones and forget the greetings.”
“Yeah…”
…
Maybe in another life…?
…
A self-indulgent glance thrown at Sasuke, which was immediately returned with the same glint of fondness hidden in the boy’s dark eyes, merely proved Naruto right.
They didn't need dumb conversations.
“We're not performing Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, Sasuke. It’s just Taijutsu, and even then, it barely counts! Y’know?” Naruto whispered conspiratorially, adjusting his green goggles so they covered his disfigured eye better.
The Jinchuuriki knew that Sasuke was the only other person around and that he probably didn’t need to care about the appearance of his disfigurement in front of the dark-haired boy. But still, it was because…
Well, Naruto didn't need a reason for the goggles. Kakashi said so.
“Still. It can cause so many bad things! Like burning chakra coils, explosive reactions, and- and-” Sasuke didn't know why he was getting so worked up.
There was no argument needed. Chakra wielding and jutsu, of any nature, were off the table.
So why was he waiting for Naruto to argue against him?
“Those rules are dumb. Do you think the kids from, like, the first Hokage’s time listened to these rules? No! Come on! How are we supposed to become strong if all we’re doing is waiting around for someone else to help us?” The blonde groaned, pushing at the raven-like boy’s arm.
Naruto had a point… That or Sasuke was pathetically easy to convince.
“Okay, fine.” The young Uchiha sighed, acting as though he were being threatened into compliance. Truly, he was freaking out inside, half-expecting his entire clan to show up from around the corner and berate him.
But nothing happened.
And so, chakra manifesting started!
Naruto shimmied over until he was face to face with Sasuke, knees touching.
“Okay! So… Uhm… I think we should just try to move chakra into our hands, and then you hold onto the box, and I’ll pull the lid off. Y’know?” Surprisingly, Naruto was actually quite proficient in planning. It was all the practice he got from organising and ensuring the success of his pranks.
The dark-eyed boy huffed, he didn’t enjoy being bossed around by someone who stumbled with simple sentences, but it was a good plan, so he agreed. It didn’t matter, he was certain he’d be better at battle tactics anyway. He plays shoji.
“Do you play shoji?”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
See? Sasuke didn’t have anything to worry about.
Naruto spared the moon-like boy only a slightly suspicious glance before handing the box over to the weirdly smug Uchiha, he seriously couldn’t understand Sasuke sometimes, but they had a mission right now!
Sasuke held the box in his un-calloused palms, and suddenly the world felt a lot smaller. His lungs felt heavier, like steel. And his hands began to tremble a little. In fear? In excitement? The dark-eyed boy didn’t know.
He was going to purposefully shape chakra without proper instructions or permission.
He was going to help a random boy his parents didn't even know he'd made friends with in opening a suspicious and possibly dangerous box.
He’s never done anything without permission before. Except for the night he first met Naruto, sneaking out was something he did in a state of a certain emotion Sasuke didn’t think he could put into words. But other than that? He was a good son.
It felt so wrong.
It felt so good.
Naruto, on the other hand, didn’t notice Sasuke’s internal struggles. Instead, he focused on his breathing style and mimicked what Kurama taught him. It was a little nerve-wracking to be without the fox’s guidance, but Naruto was confident!
If he had to describe the sensation of looking for an energy that circulates his body constantly and trying to drag it forward to a certain area, he’d be sitting there for hours unable to form even one coherent sentence. Sasuke would probably find it hilarious.
But it was a wonderful feeling. That is something Naruto could scream out without any hesitations all night long.
Finding the stream of chakra flowing inside of him wasn't difficult, it only required steady lungs and a little concentration. Even he could manage that.
Trying to touch the chakra with his mind was a little more difficult, it wasn’t a tangible force, so the blonde couldn’t exactly drag it with his own bare hands. No, Naruto had to guide it with his will and his will alone.
It took a few tries, but eventually, the Jinchuuriki began feeling the warm river of chakra flow with purpose down to his palms. It was a little difficult controlling the amount that surfaced below his skin, there was a lot more than he anticipated, and it felt a little like trying to guide an ocean into a pond.
Kurama’s advice helped a lot in this scenario, like he anticipated this issue. Naruto would have to thank the biju proficiently tonight.
With a satisfied smile, Naruto focused his working eye back onto the black-haired boy in front of him and found, with no little embarrassment, that Sasuke was staring at him with the intensity of a thousand suns. Was he waiting?!
The Jinchhuriki couldn’t help but admire how talented Sasuke was with chakra, Naruto had a whole biju to help him. But Sasuke? This was just him…
Still embarrassing as hell though.
Meanwhile, Sasuke was finding it difficult to focus. His previous internal debate was completely forgotten in favour of taking in the sight before him.
He had been able to guide chakra into his hands without any struggles or issues, as expected, and he did it just as efficiently as the shinobi guides had averaged for a newly graduated genin. He wouldn’t be happy with anything less, and even so, he still felt like he was merely adequate, not exceptional.
The young Uchiha had succeeded before Naruto did and was about to offer the sunny boy some advice and help, because that’s what powerful shinobi did. Help others.
But then, out of nowhere, he was hit with a wave of warm air that had tingles run up his spine.
It wasn’t like the random rays of sun on a chilly day. It wasn’t like being wrapped up in a weighted blanket on a winter evening. It didn’t feel like his mother’s embrace.
It felt nicer.
It was a new feeling. One he realised was coming from Naruto.
Naruto, who was sitting in front of him with his tongue sticking out in concentration and his goggles slightly askew on his scared side, revealing his slit eyebrow pinched upwards.
It was his chakra… Sasuke knew this because he could see it.
‘Chakra isn’t supposed to be visible unless it’s forming Ninjutsu…’ At least that’s what the shinobi guidebook says… But he could actually see Naruto’s chakra.
It was really light, literally, it looked like his hands were glowing. Albeit, very faintly, to the point that Sasuke was sure it would go unnoticed from afar. Still, it was visible enough to cast light on his lap. It was very pretty…
…
Now, Sasuke was a grateful child. He never asked for things because he wanted them, he only ever sought the attention and approval of his family. Other than that, he has never wanted for anything. No toys, snacks, or new outfits. And he was always grateful whenever his family did buy him things, he was quite fond of his Dino plush…
But this?
He wants this.
“Uhm…” The young Uchiha was broken out of his hyper-focus by Naruto’s awkward mumble. Ah, right. Staring is rude.
“Sorry. Did you know your chakra glows?”
“Nope… I think it does that cause of my chakra nature?” Naruto was rambling nonsense, he just didn’t want to seem oblivious as to why his own chakra was doing something.
In all honesty, the Jinchuuriki didn’t even notice his chakra was glowing until Sasuke pointed it out, the light was difficult to see, and the fact he only had one working eye that was hidden behind shaded goggles didn’t exactly help…
Sasuke nodded, it wasn’t a bad theory, but it also couldn’t be true because he’d never heard of a certain chakra nature doing this. He’d have to do more research later.
“Well, that isn’t important now! Let’s just open the box.” The Jinchuuriki sighed, reaching for the box that was sitting in the dark-eyed boy's hands, the plan was simple. Sasuke would hold the box with his chakra-laced hands, and Naruto would pull the lid off using the same grip-enhancing method.
It was a two-man job.
Sasuke nodded and adjusted his hold on the box.
Naruto brought his hands forward, placed them lightly onto the lid and took a deep breath.
Click!
Huh?
“Huh?” The two boys spoke simultaneously.
The metallic clasp on the front of the box just popped open.
No struggle needed.
“What just happened?” Naruto mumbled, tilted off kilter by how anticlimactic that was.
Sasuke’s eyebrows furrowed, he didn’t know what the exact cause was but he could make a few assumptions…
“It must have been unlocked by your chakra…” This was the loudest theory that rang in his head.
“But if it was chakra activated, why didn’t it open when you held it?” The now-open box was still sitting snuggly in Sasuke’s hands, mocking him.
“You didn’t hear me, dobe. I said it was activated by your chakra.” Naruto’s chakra was very clearly special, it didn’t strike the young Uchiha as a stretch to assume the box wasn’t necessarily chakra activated but more so Naruto-chakra-activated. Was it a bloodline ability? But Naruto was an orphan…
…
Sasuke couldn’t help but feel his inadequacies begin to choke him. Naruto was unique and innately extraordinary, and he was an orphan with no great clan to teach or motivate him. The second-born Uchiha would have to up his efforts in order to become exceptional enough to stand on equal ground to the sunny boy.
“Well… That was simple!” Naruto giggled, shifting over and practically climbing onto his friend’s side, Sasuke was grateful the blonde didn’t further the questions, he didn’t think he could ever admit to being the weaker of the two of them.
“Open it! Open it” The Jinchuuriki cheered, practically vibrating with excitement.
If Sasuke had been the one whose chakra had unlocked the box in the first place, he’d want to be the one to open it. But Naruto didn’t seem to care.
…
“Calm down, dobe...” Might as well humour the sunny boy; his affection and trust were something the Uchiha was beginning to realise stretched far and wide. Like sunlight at dawn.
Sasuke reached out and lifted the box’s lid.
Inside was…
“What?”
It was paper.
A thick stack of off-white paper comfortably resting within a dark red velvet interior. It felt like something Sasuke would see in his father’s office, the office he’s only ever been allowed to peek inside very few times in his life.
Naruto looked a little off-put, not exactly disappointed but more so unpleasantly surprised. He had hoped the thing he’d been trying to reach for more than a day would be a little more exciting. But paper? Boring…
“It could be special paper?” The dark-eyed boy tried to reassure him once he saw the blonde’s growing pout.
“Yeah? What kind of special paper?”
“Uhm… Sealing paper?”
Naruto’s eyes widened slightly, if it were true, this was something more than interesting. This could be a step towards figuring out the seal that had imprisoned Kurama and maybe a step towards freeing the biju.
“Wait, really!?” The Jinchuuriki gasped, leaning over Sasuke’s shoulder like a baby koala on a flimsy tree branch.
“Naruto!” The “flimsy tree branch” in question groaned at the sudden weight being shoved onto his back.
Naruto ignored Sasuke in favour of reaching for the now-open box and peering inside, the paper didn’t exactly look all that interesting, but maybe that’s on purpose? To maintain secrecy…
“Woah…” The blonde was in awe, taking the box out of Sasuke’s hands. Upon closer inspection, he found that attached to the velvet lining of the lid was a fancy-looking brush and a small black block.
“It even came with a brush and ink? Who would leave this behind in a forest…?” Sasuke isn’t really interested in sealing techniques, he does recognise them as incredibly useful and impressive, but it isn’t his calling…
Naruto looked over the moon.
“Sucks to be them! I’m definitely gonna keep it! I doubt they’d ever go looking for it anyway… I found it in a pile of scrap metals really deep in the forest!” The over-excited blonde exclaimed, running his fingers across the smooth expanses of the paper.
“Yeah? If anyone accuses you of stealing, what are you gonna do?” Sasuke huffed, hiding an amused smile.
“It’s not stealing! It’s finders keepers, y’know!” Naruto cried, shutting the box and holding it close to his chest.
“Sure. Anyway, who do you think it belongs to?” It wasn’t an ordinary find, especially not something from a pile of rusty junk deep in the forest. Whoever previously owned it must have been a shinobi of high class…
“There isn’t any name or clan symbol on it. I guess we’ll never know...” Naruto was admittedly less curious as to who owned it previously, but it was a good question. Was that person still alive? What did they use the sealing paper for? Were they any good?
…
“I don’t understand… I give up.”
“Ha! So even the god of shinobi cannot break my seal! As expected, I truly am exceptional, y’know?”
“How did you do it?”
“Well, I first created a seal that only opens once it is touched by Uzumaki chakra, it wasn’t difficult.”
“You did something similar for your library back at Uzushio, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I want my family to always be able to seek guidance from my knowledge.”
“That’s wonderful…”
“Ah.. Well- Ehem. Anyway, after that I created an ink that absorbs all light and energy put into it. That means that no matter how powerful one’s chakra is, it can never force the box open!”
“Incredible… Will you create more of this ink?”
“Possibly. I see no use for it in our time of peace, but I have the formula written down just in case.”
“It is quite beautiful.”
“Isn’t it? I’m very happy with how it turned out.”
“What are you going to keep in it?”
“Well… I’m not exactly sure. Maybe a kunoichi’s essentials pack?”
“Don’t you already carry your essentials in a sealing scroll? I feel like this beautiful box deserves something high class, no?”
“Maybe… Oh! Y’know the sealing paper I've been working on for the past couple of months?”
“That’s a wonderful idea! It seems the right size too!”
“Well, I usually carry my sealing paper in a storage seal inside of my sleeves. But, perhaps this would be a nice place for our future children to carry them.”
“Like an heirloom…”
“Yes…”
…
“Anyway! It doesn’t matter who it used to belong to, it's mine now!” Naruto giggled, rolling around in the grass like a cat.
“Dobe!” Unfortunately, Sasuke was dragged down with the dumb blonde.
“Come on! Let’s go play! I’ll ask Kashi-nii more about the paper when he gets back!” The Jinchuuriki sat up and shoved the now not-so-mysterious box into his pocket.
“Train! Let’s go train!” The dark-eyed Uchiha clicked his tongue, following Naruto in standing up and making their collective way down the hill.